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Land of Iron (SCB)
The is a large, snow-covered country located to the northwest of the that is populated by as opposed to . It is known for its strong military and distinct culture that emphasizes familial piety, honor in battle, and the noble path of the warrior’s as applied through above all else. Due to its inaccessibility and distance from any of the , the Land of Iron has remained neutral in past wars, with the exception of the when extended military aid to the in order to defeat , who posed a global threat at the time. Aside from this, the Land of Iron has remained politically detached from the affairs of the shinobi nations and refuses to become involved in any battle with the shinobi, with the shinobi likewise having held an unspoken rule since the never to interfere with the samurai. The Land of Iron is led by the , who oversees the military and ensures national security. History Early Era The Land of Iron was first populated by several different tribes of hunter-gatherers who migrated to the area during the era of . Following the trail of the Wolves who continued to be pushed farther north due to spreading human influence, the hunter tribes settled in the mountains and valleys along the land’s northern coast. Their civilization was originally primitive, split into small, dispersed villages of family clans who relied upon hunting, fishing, and subsistence agriculture to survive. However, following the discovery of and the introduction of steel swords, their civilization quickly became advanced. Soon, each family was vying for as much territory as possible in order to support their growing populations, and it was not uncommon for a warrior clan to claim an entire mountain range for itself. This resulted in endless strife and ceaseless battle until, one day, a white-robed with the visage of a demon came to the land and imparted his to the people living there. Court System Era Initially, the clans accepted the religion of and began to follow the teachings of Hagoromo, calling themselves samurai, or “those who serve,” as they wished to better the lives of others through serving the cause of “wadō” (和道, lit. “Way of Peace”). However, they differed significantly from the shinobi in their view towards chakra, as they focused on spiritual enlightenment and mastery or betterment of the self as opposed to applying chakra externally in . This led to an era of cultural refinement, improvement in the day-to-day quality of life, and expansion into philosophy and the arts. Thus, for two centuries the Land of Iron experienced peace and refinement even as the rest of the world continued to war against itself. Under these circumstances, a court system was able to flourish and, eventually, those with unbroken bloodlines and territorial claims came to be considered nobility. As a result of their newfound privileged status, the clans became plagued by greed and political ambition. The land became divided amongst the most powerful households, and the era of peace devolved into one marked by feudalism and intense warfare. Age of Warring Clans For two hundred years the samurai clans practiced kenjutsu with a view towards spiritual enlightenment, but when war broke out between the clans the art lost its benign pretense. Each family had honed its own, distinct style of fighting for centuries, with a view towards efficiently and mercilessly cutting down their opponents. Those with weak styles soon perished at the hands of stronger forms of swordsmanship. Among these noble clans, three families rose to particular prominence: the Taiga, Fujiwa, and Matsumune. After years of relatively small-scale skirmishes, the armies of the three clans finally met in a full-scale confrontation at the Battle of Nishihyōgen (西氷原、 lit. “West Ice Field”). The cataclysmic event lasted eight days until, at last, the Taiga emerged victorious and seized political control of the country. The constant warfare had resulted in famine and a drastic decrease in the Land of Iron's population. To better their chances of survival, each family became isolated from one another and again retreated to their territorial holdings, strengthening their defenses and focusing on securing agricultural surplus while secretly detesting the Taiga's central form of government. But the Taiga were persistent, and the clans, worn down by the war, eventually caved into their iron-clad demands. In order to assert their dominance over the noble clans, the Taiga mandated that each family send their firstborn heir to the palace compound they had built in the center of their state as a “delegate”, thereby ensuring the loyalty of the subdued clans and reinstating the court system of the previous era. The Fujiwa acceded to the Taiga, hoping to exploit the politics of the situation to increase their power while the Matsumune refused to acknowledge the Taiga's rule and retreated further into impassable mountain territories where they remained, solitary and inextricable, for generations. Legend of Rōma . Winter struck, and Rōma would have perished in the bitter cold had he not been discovered by the wolves and brought into their pack. He trained with the wolves for four years until, eventually, his skills in kenjutsu surpassed that of any mortal human. Rumors of war soon reached even the wolves’ mountain domain, and Rōma decided to return at last to the world of mankind. He pledged himself to the first clan who found him after emerging from the mountains, and traveled with their armies to Nishihyōgen. His godlike powers soon became evident during the battle, and it was later said that he had become an unstoppable force of nature, carving a path through the carnage with the hungry eyes of a wild animal. He could run as fast as the wind, cut through mountains, and no blade could harm him as his skin was as hard as iron. Recognizing the advantage of an alliance, the Taiga decided to approach him despite the danger he posed. Rōma later swore fealty to them as the clan he had formerly served had already been wiped out, and soon the tide of the battle turned in the Taiga’s favor. As the battle continued to progress it became evident that a clash with the Fujiwa, the second most powerful clan after the Taiga, was inevitable. Wishing to end things as quickly as possible, the Taiga sent Rōma to take out the Fujiwa’s clan head. He reached the leader and the two crossed swords on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. Rōma was shocked that she could withstand his first strike, and she was likewise impressed by his skill. They called a truce and found they were mutually attracted to each other. After the Battle of Nishihyōgen ended, they became lovers. Their tryst was not to last, however, as they were found out by the Taiga. But instead of sentencing the leader of the Fujiwa to immediate death, they hired a shaman in order to curse her, and she was frozen forever within an impenetrable slab of ice. In order to free her, Rōma began to search for something that could break the spell, and he returned to the wolves to ask for the cursed sword Muotō (無凰刀, lit. “Empty Phoenix”). As the sword's guardians, the wolves were reluctant to give it to him, but eventually agreed. Gradually, just as the wolves had feared, he became possessed by its madness. He would strike at random, killing warriors and innocents alike and butchering entire villages on a whim. Soon, the name of Rōma became feared as it had never been before. At last, in order to end the senseless violence, the three major clans united to kill him. They met him on a high plain along the border of the Land of Earth, and there a bitter fight ensued. The samurai were joined by the wolves, who considered Rōma rabid and in violation of an unspoken vow held by the pack. In the final effort to kill him, three of the most powerful wolves drew in all of the around them to form a concentrated attack. They managed to rip out Rōma’s heart, thus killing him, but in the process turned entirely into . Their lifeless forms became the Sanrō (三狼, lit. “Three Wolves”): mountains which stand there to this day. The essence of Rōma’s soul became a walking spirit of the wind. Never finding rest, his spirit occasionally possesses warriors who have lost their first love, granting them godlike powers in exchange for the satisfying exaction of blood: an experience which causes most to go insane. }} Taiga and Fujiwa Shōgunates Geography Culture Education Religion and Philosophy Government Economy and Trade Three Noble Clans Military Notable Locations Trivia *The Age of Warring Clans is meant to roughly parallel the in the shinobi nations, although it occurred earlier. *While the Land of Iron is mainly based on samurai culture, some religious elements are based on those held by the . *The geography of the Land of Iron is based off of that of . *Rōma was patterned after several well-known mythical figures such as , , , and . Notes